


Swim

by runningkin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, The Great Lake | The Black Lake (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 17:24:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17964860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runningkin/pseuds/runningkin
Summary: They had begun this two months ago or so. Sirius had dropped the act and stopped acting daft around Remus, speaking carefully and under his breath, always close up like this, as if he were telling a secret. It was a secret, they were a secret. No one else knew what they got up to, and they meant to keep it that way.





	Swim

        Remus Lupin, or, more specifically, Prefect Remus Lupin, decided to take his time today whilst he did his duties, or, more specifically, his Prefect Duties. It was warm out, and he of all people deserved the break. The curse that was being both friends and part with the Marauders followed him everywhere, even in the dead of night, but tonight seemed like it was going to be quiet and peaceful. He strolled out into the bridge and looked out into the lake, watching the moonlight dance on the surface. The moon was beautiful when it was calm like this; half full and not calling for the wolf. Sometimes, with the moon like this, he could almost forget about his affliction, almost forget to hate the moon and all the pain it brought, almost forget that the fuller it got the more pain would begin to settle on his joins and in his muscles. He stared off into the lake and begin to drift off, his body swaying along with the wind, but something rippled on the shore. He listened closely and could make out the soft sound of feet on grass, and the moon fractured into moons upon the lake's surface as something created ripples. He watched for a minute, two minutes, without moving, and then he saw it.

 

        Sirius Black, Sirius _fucking_ Black was in the Great Lake.

 

        Normally, he would have rolled his eyes, maybe smiled and laughed, but he was on his Prefect Duties, and even he could admit that nothing made him as strict as being on Prefect Duties. He sped back down the bridge and made his way through the halls quickly, having had the architecture of the castle well-studied and engrained in his mind. He walked quickly down the hills with learned feet, and stopped right at the edge. Sirius had not seen him, and swam peacefully on the surface, knowing not to stray too far out. Remus watched; he watched each stroke of Sirius's slender arms, droplets clinging desperately to his muscles, watched him go to and fro in perfect formation, coming back right when he knew it got deep. Sirius was no fool, although he might have wanted everyone to believe that, and Remus knew this more than anyone. For a second, he wondered if Sirius had chose to come and do this now because he knew Remus was on patrol, and broke a smile at the thought

 

        "You goin' to join me or do you prefer watching?"

 

        Remus had drifted off once again, and Sirius had caught him staring dumbly out at him. He had his chin in his hand and his elbows in the grass, and was looking up at Remus, grinning like he knew exactly what Remus was thinking about. He probably knew all too well, but Remus didn't want to give him any sort of ammunition or ideas.

 

        He crossed his arms. "Why aren't you in bed?" 

 

        "Oh, Moony," Sighed Sirius. "When will you learn to have fun? I'm a good teacher, you know. You might know about books and all that, but none of that lasts."

 

        _It does last,_ he thought, _all that is written is permanent, all that is wise and knowledgeable is permanent_ , but he said nothing, because that wasn't the point. The point was that Sirius was in the water, and the mass of clothing on the floor implied he was naked, and it was dark, and they were alone, and Sirius was smiling so devilishly that he couldn't stop himself from reciprocating, and it was so warm and the moon enveloped everything in silver, and it felt like a dream. Everything was fuzzy.

 

        "It's nice out, isn't it?" He said, and then realized how strange it might have been to be Sirius and to hear that in response. The fuzziness had filled his brain through his ears, maybe. Sirius just kept smiling.

 

        "Mhm," drawled Sirius, "but it's nicer in here." He reached hand arm out at Remus. Remus put his hand in Sirius's, not thinking, not breathing, just doing, and he felt himself fall.

 

        It was cold, and his clothes clung onto him and weighed him down. Sirius pulled him back up, and he felt his back against the rocky dirt edge of the lake. "Something's gotten into you, Moony. You never agree so easily."

 

        "I'll go back to my usual self once I stop losing sleep because of you." 

 

        Sirius leaned in close, pressing his body against Remus's to help hold him up. "I never said you had to go back."

 

        They had begun this two months ago or so. Sirius had dropped the act and stopped acting daft around Remus, speaking carefully and under his breath, always close up like this, as if he were telling a secret. It was a secret, they were a secret. No one else knew what they got up to, and they meant to keep it that way. In response the tenseness in Remus's shoulders seemed to have loosened, everything about him seemed to have loosened, but only around Sirius. It was like Sirius had taken his fraying edges and twirled them in his fingers til they twisted up nicely, and then let go so they spun back and laid limply once again, curled at the ends. It was nice, a warm, heavy feeling, that engulfed him like the river water, but only around Sirius. Nobody else did this, and nobody else knew but the two of them. They didn't know what it was themselves, maybe because they were scared about what it meant. Giving it a name or label would make it real and corporeal, and they had found a perfect in-between, a break from the real.

       Sirius's eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, and Remus could see himself reflected on his irises. Sirius's smile had faded off into a sort of sleepy smirk, and his lids drooped ever so slightly, yet his pupils were dilated. Remus knew what that meant, but said nothing, thought nothing, because he didn't know exactly how to react. He just let his own lids droop too, his eyes falling from Sirius's eyes to his lips. He felt Sirius's breath on his own. The two of them were incredibly still, and Remus body was conflicted between feeling the cold of the river or the heat of his body. He shifted ever so slightly, repositioning himself just a bit.

 

        Sirius moved forward, his cheek brushing against Remus's jaw, his slow breath like careful fingers running along Remus's neck and collarbones. Black hair tickled his lips and nose and he could smell shampoo and something else; maybe sweat, or soot from the fireplace, or... god-knows-what. He could barely think, he could barely do much more than breathe it in and feel his pulse against the back of his ears. Sirius stirred again, his skin smooth against Remus's. He felt Sirius's lips on his cheek, still moving, and his heart started beating even faster, so fast it felt like it was moving up his chest through his throat to his mouth, and he opened his mouth in attempt to help it settle, and right then Sirius's mouth moved over his, and they were kissing. It wasn't the first time they had kissed, and he thought for a second that if it were the last, he would feel complete. It lasted for many, many heartbeats, steady but never slowing, and so gentle.

 

        When Sirius pulled away, his eyes were still closed, and Remus got to watch him as he caught his breath. Remus's hands were in his wet hair, and he began to shiver ever so slightly, even though every inch of his skin seemed to burn for more. Sirius licked his lips and opened his eyes. He smiled much differently than how he usually did; the kind of smile that only Remus could bring out of him.

 

        "Let's go somewhere warm." Sirius breathed on him, and he realized he never wanted any of these moments to be the last.

**Author's Note:**

> Based off Swim by Chase Atlantic
> 
> It's been a minute since I've been on here. I've read a lot but now I want to start writing again. I have plans to write a lot, maybe a series. This is just a little short story for fun.


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